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| Bournemouth Church History |
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The number of children still continued to rise, reaching 201 by November 1916: an extra teacher was allocated to the School in view of this increase.
From this peak total, after the war numbers began to drop and this trend continued until by March 1925 there were only 120 on the books.
Swimming instruction at the Pier Approach Baths was started in 1921 for both girls and boys; initially this took place out of school hours, but by 1924 it had been incorporated into the timetable. Another development was the attendance of small parties of boys at instructional films at a local cinema.
In October 1924 a group of pupils attended the first of a series of talks on musical appreciation given at the Winter Gardens.
As the Winton and Malmesbury Park districts became built up in the years before the 1914 War, an increasing proportion of the pupils attending St. Walburga's School came from homes in those areas. Thus the Managers found it necessary seriously to consider the need for a school nearer these homes, particularly since the Church of the Annunciation had been opened in 1907 as a chapel of ease to the Sacred Heart Church.
Therefore in 1912 some land was purchased in Truscott Avenue, this site running back to Maxwell Road and to Somerley Road, and it was decided that St. Walburga's should be transferred to a new building to be erected on that land.
On 11th October Fr. Strappini, S.J., on behalf of the Managers submitted to the Board of Education sketch plans for a new building to hold 240 children. He pointed out that the existing premises were a modified dwelling house, with accommodation for 183, and there were in fact 201 pupils on roll. The Bournemouth Education Committee approved the transfer of the School in principle.
A number of residents raised objections to the use of the site for a school, suggested that it would depreciate the value of the adjoining properties and be a nuisance to the neighbourhood. Another objector stated that part of the site had been a large clay pit, some 20 feet deep, which had been filled with town refuse some of which might well be of an objectionable nature.
Education Committee asked the Medical Officer of Health to report on the site, and in view of his findings withdrew its approval to the site. Meanwhile, the Managers had submitted formal application to the Board of Education for approval of the site for a school of 320 places, stating that the greater part of the building would be erected on the solid ground with a gravel subsoil.
Fr. Crofton, S.J., asked the Education Committee on 31st October 1916 to reconsider the question. He stated that as 150 out of 205 children attending St. Walburga's lived in Winton and Malmesbury Park, the need for transferring the School was apparent.
He stated that the School Architect, Mr. Brewerton, was prepared to meet the Medical Officer to discuss methods of making the site acceptable. This meeting took place, but the Medical Officer felt unable to vary his recommendation, and there the matter was left until after the war.
The Managers again applied to the Education Committee in 1920, asking for reconsideration of the matter of the site. This time the Borough Engineer took borings, and following a report from him and from the Medical Officer, the Committee stated that the sub-surface was in a condition which rendered it most undesirable for use as a school site.
In December 1923 the Managers tried yet again to gain approval to their site, but without success, and there things were left for a time.
Presumably this was the present site in Malvern Road, since the Education Committee approved a new site for St. Walburga's later in 1927. Plans for the new building were prepared without delay and were approved by the Board of Education in April, 1928.
Work on the new School started very quickly, so that the premises in Yelverton Road were able to be closed on 18th December, and the children assembled at the new School in Malvern Road on 8th January 1929. The number on the registers had dropped to just below 100, but by the end of the summer term 1929 had risen to over 150, clearly showing that the Malvern Road site was more readily accessible. One year later, in June 1930, the total had exceeded 200.
Sister Catherine Butler retired from the post of Head Mistress on 28th February 1930, and was succeeded for the time being by Sister Lawrence (Catherine Pickthorne) as Acting Head, it being the intention of the Managers to appoint a Head Master.
This was done in 1931 so that Mr, R. O'Brien took up duties as the Head on 3rd November of that year.
During the decade 1930 to 1939 life at the School pursued an even course. Numbers increased to 257 by April 1933. There was a memorial service on the death of King George V in January 1936.
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